TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan baseball star Hsu Jo-hsi (徐若熙) signed a three-year contract exceeding 1.5 billion yen (around US$10 million) with Japan's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (福岡軟銀鷹) Monday (Dec. 1). The Wei Chuan Dragons (味全龍) pitcher announced the move following the conclusion of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL, 中華職棒) season. The deal marks a significant career advancement and substantial financial leap for the Taiwan player.
Hsu's contract averages 500 million yen (around US$3.3 million) annually, representing a 20-fold increase from his previous 4.8 million yen (around US$32,000) Wei Chuan Dragons salary. The Hawks have not disclosed exact salary figures, but the raise could place Hsu among the top 10 earners in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Japan's professional baseball league. The projected salary would rank Hsu fourth on the league's salary list, surpassing stars like Yuki Yanagita (柳田悠岐) and Hotaka Yamakawa (山川穗高).
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, a Pacific League team in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), actively pursued Hsu's talents throughout the season. The Hawks sent chief baseball officer Kenji Jojima (城島健司) to Taiwan in June to extend an invitation to Hsu. The team arranged a tour of their Fukuoka training facility and a meeting with baseball legend Sadaharu Oh (王貞治).
The Hawks' home games averaged 38,281 spectators this season, and Hsu's addition is expected to draw increased attention to the team. Roberto Osuna of the Hawks ranks as the highest-paid foreign player in NPB this year, earning 1.27 billion yen (around US$8.5 million). Raidel Martínez of the Yomiuri Giants (東京讀賣巨人) follows with 1.22 billion yen (around US$8.1 million). ◼